Hon Dorcas Toffey
Jomoro

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to make this important Statement.

Mr Speaker, today, Ghana joins the global community in commemorating World Population Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of population issues and their critical intersections with development, sustainability, and individual well-being. The theme for this year theme, “Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want in a Fair and Hopeful World”, calls for significant emphasis on fostering national and global conversations that highlight the impact of population dynamics on socioeconomic development, environmental sustainability, and the overall well-being of individuals and families.

Mr Speaker, the population of Ghana is currently estimated at over 33 million, a figure that reflects both tremendous opportunity and immense responsibility. Our nation, like many across Africa, is blessed with a young and vibrant demographic, with approximately 57 per cent of our citizens under the age of 25. This youthful population presents us with a powerful demographic dividend, but it can only be realised through bold and intentional decisions. Population growth, in itself, is not a threat. On the contrary, it can be a strategic asset. A growing population brings the promise of an expanded workforce, a more dynamic consumer base and a greater national potential. However, it equally demands that we scale up our systems to meet the rising need for education, healthcare, housing, clean water, sanitation, employment and security.

Mr Speaker, our response to this challenge must be strategic, inclusive and forward-looking. We must prioritise investment in health, especially in maternal and reproductive health services. Empowering individuals and families with access to accurate information and quality services enables informed decisions about family planning, child spacing and personal well-being. At the same time, our education sector must be restructured to match the demands of the 21st Century. We must ensure that every child, regardless of background or location, has access to inclusive and quality education from basic to tertiary levels. Special focus must be given to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which offers young people practical skills and job readiness in a competitive global market.

Mr Speaker, central to this conversation is the empowerment of women and girls. Their inclusion and advancement are not just matters of justice; they are prerequisites for sustainable development. Keeping girls in school, ending early marriage and safeguarding them from all forms of abuse are key to building resilient families and prosperous communities. When women and girls are empowered, nations thrive. We must also accelerate efforts to expand decent employment opportunities for our youth. The creation of jobs must grow in tandem with our population. Support for entrepreneurship, skills development and private sector partnerships will be vital to unlocking innovation and productivity across sectors.

Mr Speaker, we face undeniable challenges, from urban congestion and environmental degradation to the mounting pressure on the infrastructure and social services, but these are not insurmountable. They require deliberate planning, coordinated policy interventions and a long-term vision rooted in equity, resilience and sustainability. As we observe World Population Day, 2025, let us remember that population management is not about numbers; it is about people. It is about creating conditions that allow every Ghanaian to live with dignity, access opportunities and contribute meaningfully to our national journey.

I, therefore, call on all Hon Members and stakeholders from Government, civil society, academia and the private sector to work together in building a Ghana where our population is not seen as a challenge, but as a dynamic force for national development, creativity and progress.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.

Hon George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan
Cape Coast South

Mr Speaker, I rise to contribute to the Statement ably made by four Hon Members of this House, led by our Deputy Minority Leader, Ms Patricia Appiagyei.
Mr Speaker, the theme for World Population Day this year is “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world”. That simply means that we, the political elites, leadership of this country, should give the young people hope. They need hope to be able to create the kind of fairness we are talking about. The population of the world, as it stands today, is just over 8 billion. In fact, it became 8 billion, I think, on the 15th November, 2022. The population of Africa, as has been mentioned, is about 1.5 billion and Ghana’s own is almost about 34 million when it was last counted.

Mr Speaker, that obviously means that there is going to be strain on services that the Government provides for our people, including these young people.

It means that we need to relook at the way we use our resources for the benefit of these young people who we are trying to create an equitable, fair, and hopeful society for.

Mr Speaker, one of the lessons as well is that we the political elite or those who lead the country should not be overborrowing to leave debt for this future generation. Because if we do, they will not be able to create the families that they want because they will spend their time, basically, paying the debt that we have left them.

Mr Speaker, it is clear, and it has been said many times, that the population of Africa is significantly a youthful one. In Africa, the biggest chunk of the population are people below the age of 25. In Ghana, the bulk of our population is actually young people, and the biggest problem we have today is unemployment. That is a time bomb. If we do not create a conducive atmosphere to be able to create jobs for our young people, they can never achieve the creation of the families they want and have a fair and hopeful world.

Mr Speaker, it is important, therefore, that we create policies and programmes that will enable our young people to be able to get jobs, as is being done currently. I wish the young people well. I hope that they participate in all activities of this country and I pray that we, who are managing the economy of this country, give the young people opportunity to be part of the future that we are creating or planning for them.

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you.